Dripless pitcher



May 28, 1957 M. c. KAHLER 2,793,790

DRIPLESS PITCHER Filed March 9, 1956 IN V EN TOR.

MAUZKIE .c. KAHLEKZ.

AT O E N EYS Patented May 28, 1957 DRIPLESS PITCHER Maurice C. Kahler, Hummelstown, Pa.

Application March 9, 1956, Serial No. 570,600

4 Claims. (Cl. 222-109) This invention relates to pitchers or other vessels from which liquids are poured. More particularly, the invention has reference to a pitcher having incorporated therein a means for preventing liquids from flowing along the outer surface of the pitcher when the same has been returned to an upright position following pouring of all or a portion of the contents.

It is a characteristic of pitchers or other pouring vessels that after pouring of the liquids from the spout formed at the top of the pitcher, said liquids often tend to run down the outer surface of the container, at the front and/or the sides. The liquids, running down the side of the vessel, in some instances tend to dry thereon, providing an unsanitary and unattractive condition. In other instances, the liquids may run fully to the table or other surface on which the vessel is supported, so that not only are the liquids wasted, but further, soiling or staining of the supporting surface may result. The tendency toward soiling or staining of table cloths, linens, counters, and table tops, and the smeared or sticky vessels all combine to provide an untidy, annoying, and workcausing condition.

In view of this, it is the main object of the present invention to provide a pitcher so designed that the above mentioned deficiencies of conventional pitchers will be fully eliminated.

As a' more specific object of the invention it is proposed to provide a dripless pitcher having a molded-on lip, extending along the front and sides of the pitcher below the spout, with said lip being so designed as to not only catch liquids that would otherwise tend to run down the outer surface of the pitcher, but also to cause said liquids to flow by gravity back into the pitcher.

Another object is to provide a construction as described above wherein the gravity flow of the liquid back into the pitcher will be accomplished with maximum i speed, so that the pitcher can be reused immediately.

Still another object is to incorporate in the above described lip a series of stepped wells, so designed as to retard flow of the liquid toward the front of the lip, that is, toward the front of the pitcher, should the pitcher be re'tilted for pouring of additional liquid therefrom before the liquid already accumulated in the lip has had the opportunity of flowing back into the pitcher. Still another object is to provide a construction of the character described which will permit themolding of the lip and wells as an integral part of the pitcher, with a minimum amount of difficulty and through the use of conventional manufacturing practices presently employed in the manufacture of pitchers or similar pouring vessels.

Still another object of importance is to provide a construction of the type described which will permit the pouring of the contents of the pitcher with no interference from the lip or wells.

Still anotherobject is to so design the lip, wells, and the associated portions of the pitcheras to eliminate crevices in which liquid might tend to collect and which crevices might tend to resist cleaning, the pitcher being so designed as to provide for maximum ease in dishwashing, rinsing, and drying due to the ready accessibility of all parts for easy cleaning with water and with a suitable soap or detergent.

Still another object is to provide a dripless pitcher design that will be adaptable to any of various vessels that hold liquids and that are used for pouring, and which will further incorporate practicability, durability, and maximum efliciency in use.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a pitcher formed with a catching lip in accordance with the present inven-' tion, a portion of said lip being broken away;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the pitcher;

Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of the pitcher in pouring position, partly in side elevation and partly in section; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the upper end portion of the pitcher showing a modified form, a part of the lip being broken away.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures l-4, the pitcher has been generally designated at 10, and includes a container for liquids, which container can be of any desired shape, that shown being merely illustrative of one shape that can be embodied in the vessel constituting the invention. The vessel has a' suitably shaped handle 14, and at its upper end has a spout 16. The spout also can be of various shapes, and in the illustrated embodiment, by way of example, there is shown a spout which is transversely curved, and which has a curved top edge inclining downwardly toward the rear of the pitcher. Further, in the illustrated embodiment by way of example the spout is shown as having a forwardly curving front portion 17.

Ordinarily, a pitcher constructed merely as described above tends, when returned to an upright position, to cause drippage of the liquid along the outer surface of the pitcher, to the supporting surface.

In accordance with the present invention, however, there is provided a catching lip 18 which in the form of the invention shown in Figures l4 extends through the full circumference of the pitcher adjacent the upper end thereof. The catching lip 18 is unbroken in the embodiment shown in Figures 1-4, as will be particularly noted from Figure 2. Further, the catching lip is formed, along its outer periphery, with an upwardly turned flange 19. The flange 19, together with the bottom wall of the lip and the adjacent side wall of the spout 16, defines a trough-like formation extending the full circumference of the pitcher below the spout, which formation is adapted to catch liquids flowing down the outer surface of the spout when the pitcher is returned to upright position, for return of said liquids to the container 12. The flange 19 is transversely, inwardly curved at its upper edge as shown to best advantage in Figure 4, particularly at the front of the lip, so that when the pitcher is tilted, and assuming that there is still some liquid within the catching lip, said liquid will not flow over the flange 19, but will instead be retained within the dtrough, at the front thereof when the pitcher is t1 te As shown in Figure l, the lip slopes downwardly from the front part thereof fully to the back of the lip, that is, there is a downward slope to the lip fully from the front to a location diametrically opposite said front. fore, any liquids caught by the lip will, when the pitcher is returned to an upright position, flow downwardlyalong Therethe side portions of the lip to the back thereof, for return to the container 12.

On the upwardly facing surface of the bottom wall of the lip there are formed, at the sides of the pitcher, a series of descending steps 20, said steps having undercut end walls 22, The upper surfaces of the steps are so sloped as to also incline downwardly toward the rear of the pitcher when the pitcher is in an upright position as shown in Figure 1. Accordingly, the steps will not inhibit flow of the liquid from the front of the lip to the back of the pitcher when the pitcher is returned to an upright position. However, when the pitcher is tilted as in Figure 4, the undercut walls 22 of the steps define wells, which will constitute collection points for liquid remaining in the lip, so that there Will not be an excess of the liquid flowing back to the front of the lip when the pitcher is tilted, assuming that there has not been a previous opportunity for the liquid caught by the lip to flow back into the container 12. The undercutting of the end walls 22 causes the front walls of the wells (which front walls are defined by said walls 22) to incline upwardly, toward the front of the pitcher, thus insuring to the maximum extent against flow of the liquid out of the wells back to the front of the lip. This provides a highly desirable feature in the invention, since it permits immediate reuse of the pitcher, even before any liquid caught by the lip 18 on the last previous use has had the opportunity of flowing back into the container 12. Due to the provision of the stepped wells, there is insurance against an excess of liquid accumulating in the front of the lip on tilting of the pitcher to the Figure 4 position, thus correspondingly insuring against overflow of liquid from the lip under these circumstances.

At the back of the pitcher there is provided an aperture 25 communicating with the trough defined by the lip and by the side wall of the pitcher, so that when the pitcher is returned to an upright position, the liquid, flowing downwardly to the back of the lip, will gravitate through the aperture 24 to be returned to the interior of the vessel.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 5, the pitcher has been generally designated at a, and includes a container 12a, and spout 14a, all formed substantially as shown in Figure 1. In this form of the invention, the lip has been designated at 18a, and has an upwardly directed flange 19a, again as in the first form of the invention. Further, stepped wells 28 are incorporated in this form, similar to those of the first form.

In the form shown in Figure 5, however, the lip flange 1911, instead of being spaced outwardly from the side wall of the container through the full circumference thereof, becomes the wall of the container at the back of the vessel, that is, the flange 19a, adjacent the center of the back portion of the vessel, is curved inwardly, merging smoothly into the back wall of the vessel. The sides of the spout, in this connection, terminate slightly forwardly of the location where the flange 19a merges into the back wall of the vessel, so as to define recesses 24a corresponding to the aperture 24, said recesses being disposed at opposite sides of the vessel adjacent the center of the back part thereof. It will be seen that the liquid, flowing down the sides of the lip, will be directed through the recesses 24a, to gravitate to the interior of the container 12a.

This feature has the desirable characteristics that the liquid can travel a shorter distance, thus to reenter the container more quickly.

In both forms of the invention, of course, there is the desirable characteristic wherein any tendency of the liquid to flow down the sides of the vessel to the supporting surface is completely eliminated, thus eliminating, in turn, smearing of the outer surfaces of the vessel, soiling of table cloths, etc.

It is believed clear that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described 4 above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carry out said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor changes in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A vessel comprising a container adapted for pouring of a liquid therefrom; and a lip formed on the outer surface of the container and extending through at least part of the circumference thereof, said lip having an upturned flange so as to define a trough for catching liquids flowing downwardly along said outer surface, the interior of said container and said trough being in communication at least at one location along the length of the trough for return of liquids to the container from the trough, said lip including a series of Wells at each side of the container for retarding flow of liquid within the trough in a direction away from said location.

2. A vessel comprising a container including a spout; and a lip formed on the outer surface .of the container below the spout and declining in opposite directions from the spout, for gravitational flow of liquid caught by the lip in said direction on return of the container to an upright position following pouring of the container contents through the spout, said lip extending through at least part of the circumference of the container and having an upturned flange so as to define a trough within which the liquid will flow, said trough and the interior of the container being in communication at a location such that the gravitationally flowing liquid will be returned to the container from the trough, said lip including a series of wells disposed in the path of said flow of the liquid, so as to retard flow of the liquid in an opposite direction on retilting of the container for pouring of its contents.

3. A vessel comprising a container including a spout; and a lip formed on the outer surface of the container below the spout and declining in opposite directions from the spout, for gravitational flow of liquid caught by the lip in said direction on return of the container to an upright position following pouring of the container contents through the spout, said lip extending through at least part of the circumference of the container and having an upturned flange so as to define a trough within which the liquid will flow, said trough and the interior of the container being in communication at a location such that the gravitationally flowing liquid will be returned to the container from the trough, said lip including a series of wells disposed in the path of said flow of the liquid, so as to retard flow of the liquid in an opposite direction on retilting of the container for pouring of its contents, said wells being arranged in stepped series at opposite sides of the spout, the wells of each series declining in the same direction as the lips when the container is in an upright position.

4. A vessel comprising a container including a spout; and a lip formed on the outer surface of the container below the spout and declining in opposite directions from the spout, for gravitational flow of liquid caught by the lip in said direction on return of the container to an upright position following pouring of the container contents through the spout, said lip extending through at least part of the circumference of the container and having an upturned flange so as to define a trough within which the liquid will flow, said trough and the interior of the container being in communication at a location such that the gravitationally flowing liquid will be returned to the container from the trough, said lip including a series of wells disposed in the path ofv said flow of the liquid, so as to retard flow of the liquid in an opposite direction on retilting of the container for pouring ofits contents, said wells being arranged in stepped series at opposite sides of the spout, the wells of each series declining in the same direction as the lips when the container is in an upright position, each of said wells including an upwardly facing surface declining in the same direction as the lip in the upright position of the container, and an undercut end wall inclining upwardly toward the spout when the container is tilted to retard said flow of the liquid in an opposite direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

